1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable device control apparatus and method and, more particularly to, an apparatus and method for controlling operation of a portable device according to the location of the portable device in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle refers to an apparatus that transports people, cargo, and the like from one place to another place via driving of wheels. Examples of vehicles include two-wheeled vehicles such as motorcycles, and four-wheeled vehicles such as cars and trains.
To increase the safety and convenience of a user who drives a vehicle, technology to equip vehicles with a variety of sensors and electronic devices is being aggressively developed. In particular, various types of driver assistance devices, which are developed for the convenience of a driver, have been mounted in vehicles.
In addition, various types of portable devices such as smartphones, notebook computers, and tablets have become essential items. As such, the danger of an accident caused by using a portable device while driving has emerged as an important issue. In particular, recent research indicates that a traffic accident rate increases by several tens of times when a portable device is used while driving. In addition, when a portable device is used while driving, driver reaction time becomes similar to that when driving drunk. For example, response time to a variety of situations may be longer than when a portable device is not used while driving. As such, movements for regulating the use of a portable device while driving have become increasingly enforced worldwide.
Some portable devices have a function of automatically deactivating execution of a specific function when users of the portable devices enter a vehicle. However, such a function still has a problem in that execution of a specific function is deactivated for the driver and even for passengers who carry the portable devices.